Heroes and Helpers
by TheGoldenYoshichu
Summary: After the Mare Do Well incident, the rest of the Mane Six have realized how much Rainbow Dash values her pride. So when she starts being a hero again they pay no mind to her pride and bragging. However what happens when she needs their help? Will they help her and will they have the same sort of pride? Sequel to Power Ponies No More.
1. Chapter 1: Return of a Hero

**Chapter 1: Return of a Hero**

The sun shined brightly over the small town of Ponyville. Every resident was going about their usual business just like they did every other day. Ponies went to work, chatted with friends, relaxed at home, or just hung around the various places in Ponyville. In the sky a group of three flew. These three fliers were Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and Lightning Dust. The three of them were extremely close friends and they formed a team. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust floated in midair as they watched Gilda fly fast. The two pegasi encouraged the griffon as she tried to perform a stunt.

"Come on G." Rainbow Dash said. "Push it."

"You can do this G." Lightning Dust yelled. "Keep it up."

Gilda flew at an extremely fast speed. A mach cone formed around her body and a flaming trail followed behind her. Gilda was determined to create her own signature move. Rainbow Dash had The Sonic Rainboom and Lightning Dust had The Lightning Strike. Gilda was certain that she had her own move. All she needed to do was find a way to pull it off. The brown and white griffon pushed herself to the limit in an attempt to increase her speed.

The griffon flew even faster than before and the flaming trail engulfed her. Gilda flew high into the sky while her two friends cheered wildly for her. The griffon flew up and then the fireball exploded around her. The flames took the shape of a griffon with its wings outstretched. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were beyond shocked at this display. They were astounded. Gilda flew towards them and looked at the image that she created. The griffon grinned in pride. She had done it. She had created her own signature move.

"I think I'll call it The Flaming Griffon." Gilda said.

The two pegasi liked the name and they gazed at The Flaming Griffon until it faded from view.

"That was awesome!" both pegasi shouted at the same time.

"G you were incredible." Rainbow Dash said.

"That move was amazing." Lightning Dust yelled.

"Thanks guys." Gilda said. 'I think Ponyville just got a lot more awesome after that."

The three fliers grinned to each other as they flew down towards the streets. They walked with each other and they excitedly compared their signature moves. The trio shared a dream of becoming Wonderbolts and they felt that using those moves would pretty much guarantee them the chance to join. The three friends were extremely pleased with themselves. They met up with five more ponies. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were all in a state of awe when they heard about The Flaming Griffon. They wished that they had been there to see it. Gilda wanted to show off her new move but she needed a lot more practice before she'd be able to use it on command. The group of eight walked on until a scream pierced the air.

A pony was standing on a balcony several stories high when she tripped. Now she was hanging on for dear life and she was screaming for help.

Quick as a flash Rainbow Dash sprang into action. She flew towards the terrified pony and grabbed her. Then she gently lowered her to the ground. A crowd of ponies gathered around Rainbow Dash and praised her for her heroic efforts. Rainbow Dash grinned as she showed off her fast flying. Her seven friends watched her and smiled. They liked seeing Rainbow Dash happy. Twilight Sparkle was also happy that Rainbow Dash didn't feel the need to swallow her pride anymore. The purple alicorn shuddered as she remembered the incident which had involved The Mysterious Mare Do Well. She regretted her actions and she knew the other four ponies involved felt the same way. Thankfully they had learned their lesson from that terrible experience and they had grown closer to Rainbow Dash as a result.

The group of eight kept walking in high spirits. They all complimented Rainbow Dash on the way that she saved that pony's life. The rainbow maned pegasus grinned at hearing all of this praise. It felt good for her to not have to hide who she really was. She had swallowed so much of her pride that her friends hardly even knew her. Now however they got to know the real her and they liked her. Rainbow Dash was ecstatic that her friends wouldn't look down on her for having a lot of pride. Granted she did go a bit overboard during the Mare Do Well incident but that was because she had kept her pride bottled up for so long. She pretty much lost control and let all of her pride out at once. Rainbow Dash wasn't humble but she wasn't as proud as she was during that time. That amount of pride was a one time thing for her. The rainbow maned pegasus walked with her friends and smiled. All of a sudden another scared shout filled the ears of the eight friends.

A pony was trapped underneath a piled of rubble and he couldn't move his legs. Rainbow Dash quickly flew to the stallion's aid and pushed the debris off of him. A crowd formed again and Rainbow Dash was showered with praise and admiration. The rainbow maned pegasus grinned broadly and created a cloud thunderbolt in the sky. Then she went back to hang out with her friends some more.

The rest of the day continued like this. A pony would be in some sort of danger and Rainbow Dash would save them. She'd be praised by the townsponies and she'd show off a bit. Her friends smiled as they watched this happen. They liked Rainbow Dash and they felt like she deserved to have her pride. After all, she was being a hero. She deserved to be proud of herself for her accomplishments.

After the sun had set, Pinkie Pie set up a small party at SugarCube Corner. The group of eight and Spike all gathered together to compliment Rainbow Dash. They praised her like a hero and Rainbow Dash loved every second of it. She was so happy that her friends didn't mind her having a lot of pride. She had been swallowing most of her pride since she moved into Ponyville but now her friends had accepted her for who she was.

Within minutes they were joined by a crowd of fillies led by Scootaloo. This group was known as the Rainbow Dash Fan Club. Scootaloo was the most devoted fan of Rainbow Dash and was appointed as the leader of the club. The group consisted of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Babs Seed, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon. Other fillies like Snips and Snails joined them as well. The group of fillies gave Rainbow Dash glances of admiration. They really looked up to her. Rainbow Dash signed autographs for every single one of the fillies and she even posed with them for a group picture that was taken by Spike. Scootaloo promised Rainbow Dash that she and her band would create a theme song for her with lyrics. After this, the fillies left SugarCube Corner and the remaining group of nine kept on celebrating. Rainbow Dash was feeling extremely happy about everything that was happening. The best part was that her friends were there with her. She was elated by the fact that they liked her for who she was. They didn't care if she bragged. In fact they encouraged Rainbow Dash to be proud of herself. Once the party ended the group of nine left the bakery and headed off for their homes. Rainbow Dash laid in her bed and she grinned broadly. This had been an awesome day for her.


	2. Chapter 2: Taking Its Toll

**Chapter 2: Taking Its Toll**

Rainbow Dash woke up the next day feeling extremely pleased with herself. She had been a hero for Ponyville and she was being rewarded with loads of praise. Sure she might not have been getting any money for her actions but she didn't care. She didn't save other ponies because she wanted to get paid for it or even because of the admiration she received. Rainbow Dash was being a hero because she enjoyed it. She liked using her speed to save the lives of other ponies. She loved being the one that others could count on for help. Being a hero was an amazing thing for the light blue rainbow maned pegasus pony.

Rainbow Dash spent her morning with Gilda and Lightning Dust. Gilda was extremely determined to someday be able to create The Flaming Griffon on command. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were able to use their signature moves any time they wanted to. Gilda wanted to be able to have that sort of ability. The griffon pushed herself to her limit and just like the day before she had created The Flaming Griffon.

Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy flew towards the trio and watched the performance. The rest of the group were inside of their hot air balloon since they weren't able to fly. Gilda dug deep to find her inner strength and once again the image of the fiery half lion half eagle creature filled the sky. The five ponies and one dragon were stunned. They just couldn't believe that they had witnessed something so breathtaking. The Flaming Griffon was truly a sight to behold just like The Sonic Rainboom and The Lightning Strike. The group of nine went back to the ground and they walked through the streets of Ponyville.

The nine friends chatted with each other as they walked. They were extremely impressed with Gilda's signature move. The three fliers tried to ask which of the three signature moves was the best but the other six refused to give a clear answer. Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and Lightning Dust laughed as they walked side by side. The three fliers were definitely good friends. Suddenly they were brought out of their state of happiness by the terrified shouts of ponies.

Rainbow Dash's head perked up as she looked for the sourced of the noise. She saw that a balcony was about to fall from a building. The balcony was carrying five ponies on it and they would get hurt really badly if the balcony were to collapse. Rainbow Dash sprang into action and tried to prevent the balcony from falling. She pushed with all her might as she attempted to slow its fall. Finally she managed to lower it to the ground but she landed awkwardly and injured one of her hind legs. Rainbow Dash paid no mind to her injury as she was praised by the townsponies. Rainbow Dash went back to her friends and they were concerned about her leg. After assuring them that she was fine, Rainbow Dash continued walking with her friends behind her. Suddenly another scream pierced the air.

Rainbow Dash flew to the source of the noise and saw that a filly was trapped in a cave. The opening was just barely large enough for Rainbow Dash to squeeze through. Wasting no time, Rainbow Dash flew towards the opening and she just barely got inside. She grabbed the filly and flew back. The entrance to the cave wasn't large enough for the two of them so Rainbow Dash held the filly in front of her face as they exited the cave. The filly made it out unharmed but Rainbow Dash's wing scraped against the side of the cave and it hurt a bit. The rainbow maned pegasus didn't care about her injury. She made sure that the filly was all right and then she received even more praise. She tried to make her cloud thunderbolt but her wing started to flare in intense pain. Rainbow Dash didn't let the pain get to her. She landed lightly on the ground and continued to walk with her friends. The group of eight started to get extremely concerned for the light blue pegasus pony. She had just taken two injuries in one day. Granted they seemed minor but an injury is still an injury.

The rest of the day continued in this fashion. Rainbow Dash would save an innocent pony's life but she would take a hit because of it. Her heroic efforts were now starting to cost her. Rainbow Dash refused to give up. Ponyville needed her and she was going to be there for the townsponies. The rainbow maned pegasus was determined to always be a hero for her friends and her town. Scootaloo walked up to her and asked if Rainbow Dash would teach her and her band the theme song that she, Gilda, and Lightning Dust always whistled. The light blue pegasus agreed and then she was off to the clubhouse. She taught the four fillies the song and Sweetie Belle started writing a music sheet. She took the tune and tried to put it in a more rock and roll sort of style. The young rockstars thanked Rainbow Dash and then she was on her way. The Cutie Mark Crusaders put on their rock band outfits and they played the song for the first time. There weren't any lyrics yet but that would come in time.

The day ended and Rainbow Dash went back to her cloud castle. Fluttershy had examined her many injuries and she quickly discovered that they were all minor. She was able to quickly treat Rainbow Dash and the light blue pegasus felt like new again. The injuries were nothing now. Rainbow Dash laid down on her cloud bed and she quickly fell asleep. She loved being a hero for Ponyville.

Meanwhile in SugarCube Corner five ponies were sitting at a table by themselves. Twilight Sparkle had called for a meeting between herself, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack. The group of five friends sat down and the purple alicorn began the discussion.


	3. Chapter 3: Offering Assistance

**Chapter 3: Offering Assistance**

"Okay girls." Twilight Sparkle began. "We know why we're here. We need to do something about Rainbow Dash."

"Ah thought we didn't mind her being a hero." Applejack said in confusion.

"Didn't we agree not to upstage her?" Rarity asked.

"I don't want to hurt Rainbow Dash again." Fluttershy said.

"She's a great hero." Pinkie Pie insisted.

"Girls you misunderstand." Twilight Sparkle told them. "I'm fine with Dash being a hero. I'm just concerned about how many times she's been getting hurt."

"She has taken a few hits." Applejack admitted.

"But they were very minor." Rarity said.

"I was able to heal them up without any trouble." Fluttershy said.

"What could be so bad about this?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I know they seem minor." Twilight Sparkle said. "But I'm worried about Rainbow getting hurt even worse. These injuries might not be bad but what if they slow her down enough for something worse to happen?"

"Ah haven't thought about that." Applejack admitted.

"These injuries are taking a toll on Rainbow." Rarity agreed.

"I don't wanna see my friend get hurt." Pinkie Pie wailed.

"But what are we going to do?" Fluttershy asked.

"We need to help her." Twilight Sparkle said firmly.

"But Ah thought we didn't want ta make her look bad." Applejack said.

"Rainbow's not even bragging that much." Rarity agreed.

"I don't wanna fight with her again." Pinkie Pie sniffled.

"Rainbow won't like this at all." Fluttershy whispered.

"It's nothing like Mare Do Well." Twilight Sparkle assured them. "We're not trying to take away Rainbow's glory. We're just going to make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"Ah don't know about this Twi." Applejack said uncertainly.

"I don't want Rainbow to get the wrong idea." Rarity agreed.

"But I don't wanna see her get hurt." Pinkie Pie argued.

"Why don't we just talk to Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. "Let her know that we're just trying to help her."

The other four ponies thought about this and then they all nodded.

"That's a good idea Fluttershy." Twilight Sparkle replied.

"Why didn't we think of that before?" Applejack asked.

"Rainbow will certainly understand." Rarity said.

"And we can help her and she'll still be a hero." Pinkie Pie said happily.

"As long as she knows that we're trying to help her." Fluttershy said.

The next day arrived and Twilight Sparkle met with Rainbow Dash and the others. The group of six sat down at a table together while they had their discussion.

"So you guys wanna help me?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We're not trying to humble you." Twilight Sparkle assured her.

"We just want ta make sure that ya don't get hurt." Applejack said.

"Those injuries could slow you down." Rarity warned.

"And then some terrible might happen." Pinkie Pie said fearfully.

"We don't want to see you get hurt Dash." Fluttershy whispered.

"You guys really wanna help me?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The five ponies nodded in assurance.

"It's nothing like Mare Do Well." Twilight Sparkle told her.

"We don't mind if ya have a lot of pride." Applejack said.

"We just don't want to see you get even more injured." Rarity said.

"We wanna help you." Pinkie Pie pleaded.

"You're our friend Dash." Fluttershy told her. "We would hate to see you get hurt."

"Wow thanks guys." Rainbow Dash said. "You can help me if you want."

The other ponies smiled at this statement. The five ponies assured Rainbow Dash that they would do their very best to help her and she could still have her pride because that was who she was. The group of six walked together and they would be working together to save the lives of Ponyville's citizens.


	4. Chapter 4: Helping The Hero

**Chapter 4: Helping The Hero**

The group of six ponies walked through the streets of Ponyville together. Rainbow Dash was the town hero and now she had her five friends helping her when she needed them. Rainbow Dash's injuries might have been minor but her friends were scared that they might lead to something worse. The rainbow maned pegasus was very touched by the concerns of her friends and she allowed them to help her. Rainbow Dash felt lucky to have such great friends. Gilda and Lightning Dust had offered to help her but they were both busy at work for the moment. Rainbow Dash and her five friends walked along until they saw something bad.

A building was starting to collapse. Ten worker ponies were trapped inside. Rainbow Dash quickly sprinted inside of the crumbling structure and grabbed one of the ponies. She quickly pulled him out of the danger zone and went back in. Part of the ceiling crashed downwards and barely missed Rainbow Dash.

The five ponies nodded to each other. Rainbow Dash needed their help on this one. Rarity and Twilight Sparkle then charged into the building. They stood next to Rainbow Dash and their horns glowed. They used magic to keep the ceiling from falling. Rainbow Dash saved more worker ponies while Twilight Sparkle and Rarity kept her safe from harm. The trio worked together and soon all ten of the worker ponies were safe.

Rainbow Dash stepped outside and she was being praised by the entire town. She looked for her friends but they had vanished. The light blue pegasus showed off and made her cloud thunderbolt in the air. Then she flew off in search of her friends. Why had they disappeared like that? Rainbow Dash wanted them to share the glory with her since they had helped her.

After a while, Rainbow Dash met up with the rest of the group. They walked in silence. Rainbow Dash tried to ask them where they had gone but her friends didn't answer her. The six ponies kept on walking and Rainbow Dash was definitely confused. Why would her friends go through the trouble of helping her and then vanish before she could let them enjoy being praised for their work?

The six ponies were brought back to reality by a group of terrified screams. A runaway carriage was going down a cliff at an extremely fast speed and the ponies on board were scared beyond their wits.

Rainbow Dash quickly leapt into action. She flew towards the vehicle and placed her forelegs against it. She firmly planted her hind legs on the ground and tried to stop the carriage. Unfortunately Rainbow Dash was known for her speed not her strength. The carriage kept moving and Rainbow Dash knew it would run her over. She felt a sense of doom but then she felt the burden get lighter. She looked beside her and saw Applejack standing next to her. The orange cowgirl pony was using her strength to help Rainbow Dash push the carriage backwards. The duo worked together and they pushed the carriage back to safety.

A crowd quickly formed around Rainbow Dash and she enjoyed the praise. She tried to get the townsponies to give Applejack some praise too but the cowgirl had disappeared. Rainbow Dash was definitely curious and a bit irritated by the orange earth pony's sudden disappearance. Why were her friends so determined to not let Rainbow Dash share the praise with them? They were helping her so they deserved to be praised as well.

Rainbow Dash met up with her friends and they still avoided her questioning. The rainbow maned pegasus was now starting to get angry at being ignored. Her friends deserved to be praised. Why couldn't they see that?

Later on during the day another disaster occurred. A group of ponies had been flying but then they crashed into each other and began to rapidly fall towards the ground. Rainbow Dash knew that she couldn't save them one at a time. She needed a way to save them all at once.

The rainbow maned pegasus quickly spotted a net and tried to carry it towards the falling pegasi. However the net was very large and it was difficult for Rainbow Dash to move it by herself. All of a sudden Pinkie Pie appeared and she helped Rainbow Dash carry the net. Then Fluttershy flew over and the two pegasi lifted the net up and caught the six falling pegasus ponies. Then they lowered the net to the ground.

Townsponies instantly surrounded Rainbow Dash. Despite enjoying the praise, Rainbow Dash was annoyed at the fact that Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had vanished. Why were they so determined to avoid being glorified by the local ponies? Why did they hate the idea of being praised for their heroic deeds?

Rainbow Dash was asked to give a speech to a crowd in the evening. Rainbow Dash agreed and then she asked her friends if they would show up. All five of them agreed and Rainbow Dash smiled. Her five friends would be praised whether they wanted to be or not.


	5. Chapter 5: Rewarding The Heroes

**Chapter 5: Rewarding The Heroes**

Rainbow Dash walked into SugarCube Corner and was greeted with thunderous cheers and applause. The rainbow maned pegasus made her way onto the stage and grinned at the townsponies. They were admiring her and they all loved her for how she had been saving them. Rainbow Dash could see her friends in the crowd and she grinned even more. This would be perfect. The mayor handed a microphone over and Rainbow Dash began to speak.

"Thanks a lot for this everypony." she began. "But there's something I have to say."

The crowd gave Rainbow Dash curious glances and some of the ponies began to mutter.

"I might be a hero but there's no way I could have done this by myself." Rainbow Dash said. "I had a lot of help from some really good friends. Right now I want them to come up here and join me."

Rainbow Dash looked out towards the crowd and spoke again.

"Twilight." she said. "Applejack. Rarity. Pinkie. Fluttershy. Get up here."

The five ponies gave each other a stunned glance. Rainbow Dash wanted them to go on stage with her?

"Come on guys." Rainbow Dash said. "I don't wanna have to drag ya up here."

The five ponies walked towards the stage uncertainly. They stood next to Rainbow Dash as she spoke again.

"You guys helped me so much." Rainbow Dash said. "You deserve to get some praise too."

The crowd cheered and the six ponies smiled. Rainbow Dash wanted to share the glory with them. She wasn't just a great hero. She was also a great friend.

A pony snapped a picture of the six friends and promised to write an article on their heroic efforts. The crowd cheered for all six ponies and then they began celebrating. Rainbow Dash sat down at a table with her five friends and grinned broadly at all of them.

"Rainbow why did you do that?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Ah thought ya didn't want ta be humble." Applejack said in confusion.

"We thought you wanted to be praised." Rarity said.

"That's why we kept vanishing." Fluttershy explained.

"We didn't wanna make you look bad." Pinkie Pie said.

Rainbow Dash smiled at them as she replied.

"Guys this isn't about being humble." she said. "It's about making sure you get the praise you deserve. If it wasn't for you guys there's no way I could have saved those ponies."

She looked Twilight Sparkle and Rarity in the eyes as she continued.

"Twi. Rarity." she said. "If it wasn't for you I'd have gotten flattened by that ceiling."

She turned to Applejack next.

"AJ." she continued. "If you didn't help me that carriage would have steamrollered me."

Then the rainbow maned pegasus turned to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

"Fluttershy. Pinkie." she said. "If it wasn't for you those pegasi would have slammed into the ground."

Rainbow Dash grinned at her friends as she continued.

"You guys helped me and you pretty much saved my life." she said. "As far as I'm concerned you guys are heroes just like me. And you deserve to get praised for it."

The five ponies grinned as they heard this. Rainbow Dash wanted them to get the same sort of praise and admiration that she received. The pegasus pony was a great friend. The six embraced in a group hug and they were all grinning broadly. This was unexpected but the five ponies appreciated Rainbow Dash's generosity. The group of six joined the party and they had a great time. The party went on though the night and the six ponies were constantly being praised for all of their heroic efforts.

Later on in the night the six ponies gathered together in the forest. Rainbow Dash didn't know what her friends wanted to meet her here for. Finally her five friends joined her. Spike was with them as well. The five ponies were carrying dark bundles of something that they laid on the ground. Rainbow Dash looked at what was piled before her and she gasped in surprise.

"Are these the Mare Do Well costumes?" she asked.

"Yep." Pinkie Pie replied.

"We want ta put this business behind us." Applejack told her.

"Mare Do Well was nothing but trouble." Rarity agreed.

"We want to be rid of her for good." Fluttershy said.

"And we want you to do the honors." Twilight Sparkle finished.

Spike walked up to Rainbow Dash and jumped into her forelegs. Rainbow Dash would be able to use him to burn the Mare Do Well costumes until they were nothing more than ashes.

"You know guys Mare Do Well wasn't _all _bad." she said. "If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have gotten Lightning Dust back. And I would still be hiding who I am."

"We know." Twilight Sparkle replied. "But Mare Do Well did so much harm to you and our friendships."

"We don't want that to happen again. "Pinkie Pie said.

"We want ta make sure of it." Applejack agreed.

"Mare Do Well may have had some positive outcomes but it was still a bad idea." Rarity said angrily.

'We should have talked to you about your pride before we tried to humiliate you." Fluttershy whispered.

The five ponies glared at the Mare Do Well costumes. They wanted to see them burn because of the strain that they had put on their friendship with Rainbow Dash. While this might have been a bit extreme, they wanted to put this dark memory behind them. Rainbow Dash gave the Mare Do Well outfits one more glance and then she had Spike breathe his emerald green fire on them. The costumes burst into flame and the six ponies watched them burn. The costumes then turned into ashes and the six ponies stared at them.

"Goodbye Mysterious Mare Do Well." they all said.

The six ponies and one dragon got up and left the forest. They headed back to their homes. The five ponies who had been that former hero had felt that this was a necessity. The Mysterious Mare Do Well had caused Rainbow Dash so much harm and they wanted to make sure that such a thing would never happen again. The six ponies went to bed and they all slept peacefully.

**The End!**

**Author's Note:** I would like to thank you guys for reading this story. It was really just a small idea that came to me one day. I feel like this was a pretty good story to write and I'm glad I did it. The idea of the Mane Six burning the Mare Do Well costumes was sort of an afterthought but I felt like it fit. Granted it probably should have been done in A Prank Too Far but I hadn't thought of it by that point. Gilda's move being The Flaming Griffon was something that I had in my head for a while and I wanted to have it added in at some point. I hope you guys enjoyed this story. What's next you might ask? Well my next story is something that I hope you guys will _treasure_ for a while. it's something that I'm looking forwards to writing. Reviews are appreciated as a;ways. Thanks for reading!


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